Information showing the number of offenders cautioned for public drinking offences in the Suffolk police force area from 2003-07 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table. Data for 2008 are planned for publication in the autumn of 2009.
The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence.
The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Offences relating to public drinking were included in the scheme.
Number 2003 240 2004 188 2005 81 2006 70 2007 48 1 From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. 2 Includes the following offences: 14001: (a) Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises. (Licensing Act 1872 Sec 12.) 14011: (b) Contravene a community support officers’ requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.1 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001—alcohol consumption in designated public places. (Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12.) 14101: (c) Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. (Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91.) 3 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. 4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit: Office for Criminal Justice Reform.